


Boxer

by RockinT765



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M, No Despair, everything works out, friendship between Juzo and Chisa, my gay babies are happy, no hope's peak, no ultimates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8138576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockinT765/pseuds/RockinT765
Summary: Juzo buys a dog, on Chisa's urging, and questions whether or not Kyosuke is a dog-person.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, this is an au where there is no despair, no ultimates, and no Hope's Peak. I just wanted my babies to be happy, so they're just living their lives. Second, I have no idea what it's like at animal shelters, so it's probably highly inaccurate. Third, I've never written for any of these characters before, so this is probably like 100% OOC.

“Do you think that ice cream place is open, today? I’m just dying to try their new flavor! I heard it’s so cold it gives you brain freeze the second you taste it!”

Juzo laughed at the bouncing red-head in front of him. “Chisa, why would you wanna eat something that's _supposed_ to give you a brain freeze? Isn’t that kind of stupid?” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Plus, it’s a total ripoff. You eat _any_ ice cream too fast and it’ll practically split your goddamn brain in half.”

Chisa put her hands on her hips, standing like some kind of teacher about to send him to detention. “Because it’s fun, silly!”

“Ah, sorry. Wouldn’t wanna get in the way of fun,” he said, smirking, and lightly elbowing her in the side.

Chisa stuck her tongue out at him, and as they laughed like they weren’t out in the middle of the sidewalk, Juzo Sakakura decided that he was happy.

With his boxing career, his best friends by his side, and a boyfriend he’d thought he’d never stand a chance with, Juzo really had no complaints. Neither did his friends, for that matter, what with Kyosuke enjoying his fancy office job, and Chisa teaching at a preschool. The world wasn’t on the verge of destruction, nobody was trying to kill him outside of the ring, and he’d managed to reveal his feelings to Kyosuke almost three months ago.

Life had really gone uphill, since high school. After graduating from said shitshow (probably the most rinky-dink, useless high school in the whole country) Juzo and the gang left that world behind to pursue their own ideals. But, they never grew apart, and Juzo was glad that he still had his friends beside him, since they made what could’ve been a run-of-the-mill life into something truly great.

So, when Chisa called him to ask if he wanted to hang out, he’d gladly accepted. What could be better than spending a day with one of the coolest chicks he knew?

Well, there _was_ one thing, but Kyosuke was busy working on some big project, and he wouldn’t be home until later. And, Juzo didn’t intend to just sit around doing nothing whenever he didn’t have a match. He was kind of lazy at times, yeah, but he never really felt right when he didn’t have _something_ to do.

Even if that something was going shopping. So, that’s exactly what they did.

“Mind if we swing by Kohl’s? You know, that-”

“American store with all the departments and crap?” Juzo interrupted, finishing her sentence.

“Juzo, you can _listen_?” Chisa said, feigning shock, as she winked.

“Hey, sometimes I pay attention,” he smiled, “And, it helps that you’ve probably dragged me there, at _least_ , twice.”

Chisa put on her most innocent expression, and said, her voice bubbly as always, “Oh, did I? Sorry! It must’ve slipped my mind.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure,” Juzo ran a hand through his hair, “Anyway, you comin’ or should I walk there, without you?”

Chisa leaned over, and linked arms with him, smiling one of her infectious smiles, “Of course I am! You’d be lost without me.”

Juzo groaned, but really he was glad that Chisa was always there, for him. Sure, she was a bit eccentric, and incredibly pushy, but she was probably the most kind-hearted person he’d ever met. And, part of him wondered how a big oaf like him had ever managed to get so close to such a sweet person.

“When we get there, are you going to try anything on?” Chisa asked, her excitement and curiosity more than apparent.

He looked to down meet her gaze. “Is saying no an option?”

“Nope!” she sing-songed, gleefully, sounding almost like she was one of the children she taught.

And, Juzo smiled. He didn’t actually mind going shopping, or wasting the day by wandering around town, poking in and out of tiny shops that Chisa just _had_ to check out. He could always use more scented candles, or soap, or throw pillows, or sweaters that he thought would look nice on Kyosuke. In fact, he was quite fond of simple days, like this, where he could just enjoy the hustle and bustle of the world around him.

He was the kind of person who hated being trapped inside, but also the kind of person who wouldn’t go on a hike if you begged him. So, his little trips with Chisa were right up his alley. The city had _just_ enough excitement to entertain him, and the stores were big enough (usually pretty freaking big in fact) that they didn’t feel like his small house.

Not that he disliked his house, of course. It was pretty average looking, but it suited him, and it was just the right size for one or two people to comfortably live in. While Kyosuke hadn’t actually moved in, he stayed over often enough that he practically did, and the setup had worked just fine. Now, if he had kids, or something, then it might be a problem, but that wasn’t exactly on the horizon.

Yes, Juzo was pretty comfortable with most things, in his life. He really didn’t need anything new, and didn’t feel the need to change anything. He was happy as he was.

“Aw! A puppy!” Chisa suddenly shouted, nearly making Juzo jump out of his skin, “Juzo, look at that poster!”

Without really thinking, his eyes followed the way her hand was now pointing, and he found himself looking at one of the local animal shelter’s posters.

“Yeah. It’s real adorable, Chisa,” Juzo said, flatly, “But, you didn’t have to shout about it.”

Then, Chisa gasped, and she looked at Juzo with a stern expression. “Juzo, don’t tell me you don’t like dogs.”

“What? Nah, I’m not saying that. I love dogs,” he clarified, feeling only mildly put on the spot (not), “Had one as a kid. His name was Baxter.”

Chisa calmed down, at that, and then cocked her head. “You had a dog? You never told me that!” she said, sounding far too interested, “Do you miss having a dog, with their little fluffy ears, and paws?”

Juzo thought, for a second, and then shook his head, experimentally. “Uh, I haven’t really thought about it,” he paused, “Kinda? I mean, nothing really beats coming home to a dog jumping up on you because it missed you so much, but I’m good where I’m at. Dogs are a lot of responsibility, and you know me.”

Chisa looked like she was considering what he said, and stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth in concentration, before finally saying, “You should get a puppy.”

She took on a determined expression, and continued, adding, “Today.”

“Did you just listen to a word I said?” he complained, his brow knitted, “There’s no way in hell I’m just gonna come home with a dog.”

Chisa took a step back, and crossed her arms. “You _have_ to. And, you wouldn’t be such a grumpy-pants all the time if you had a little puppy to come home to.”

“I’m not a grumpy-pants,” he replied, totally seriously.

“You didn’t deny the dog part!” she declared, sounding victorious.

Juzo leaned in, slightly, and made a gesture with his hand. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I said yes.”

Chisa looked him up and down, assessing him, and then clasped her hands together, as if praying. “Pleeeease?” she begged, her voice reaching world-record levels of squeaky.

To go with the new tactic, Chisa put on her most adorable expression, going for the incredibly appropriate puppy dog eyes. And, Juzo realized that he didn’t stand a chance. He just couldn’t say no to Chisa. In the end, he was as wrapped around Chisa’s finger as he was Kyosuke’s.

He really was a softie.

“Eh, I don’t know…” Juzo said, finally, looking away, and knowing that Chisa would see through him.

She stood up straighter and shook little excited fists in front of her. “Oh, but imagine Kyosuke with a puppy! Wouldn’t it just be adorable?”

And, before he could stop himself, he was totally picturing it. Obviously, it was, like, mind-blowingly cute. Shit.

Since he knew that he’d already lost, Juzo just accepted it, and let out a light laugh. “I guess you’re right. It’s pretty damn adorable.”

“Of course I'm right,” Chisa declared, enthusiastically, and grabbed ahold of Juzo’s arm, beginning to pull him, “C’mon!”

Quickly, he was being dragged, and he nearly tripped at the unexpected motion. “Hey, wait, weren’t we going to that store you like?”

Chisa paused, processing, and then said, like a lightbulb went off, “Kohl’s? That doesn’t matter, _now_.”

Juzo swallowed. “So, it’s really go-time, right now? We’re goin’ straight to the pound?”

She turned to look at him, honestly surprised. “Do you _want_ to go to try on clothes, with me?”

Letting out a nervous laugh, and putting a hand to the back of his neck, he replied, “Yes?”

“Oh, Juzo!” Chisa latched onto him, pulling him into a firm hug, “That’s so sweet!”

“Yup. Juzo Sakakura: Total Sweetheart,” he joked, struggling to breathe, even though Chisa was considerably smaller than he was.

She pulled back, and smiled, at him. “We’ll go tomorrow then, after I get off work, since it’s a Monday. I know you won’t be busy, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Juzo nodded, and Chisa gestured for him to follow her. She headed, with passion, over to the animal shelter, somehow knowing where it was without even checking the address. But, it _was_ Chisa he was dealing with, and he’d stopping trying to figure out how she did some of the things she did ages ago. Hell, he could almost _swear_ that she’d teleported, before. And, in the rare moment where he and Kyosuke gossiped, he’d recalled the same.

Either way, they were now headed to the pound, and Juzo hoped that Kyosuke had become a fan of surprises overnight.

On the way, they passed the ice cream place that had already left both of their minds, and saw a group of kids who had just gotten out of school enter the tiny building. The only thing that really caught his eye about them was the size of some of their hair. One guy’s wild curly, brown hair was large enough to provide shade, a girl’s hair was arranged into two perfectly spiraling tornados, another girl’s pigtails rivaled Chisa’s hair, in thickness, and an _incredibly_ short boy had some of the spikiest hair he’d ever seen.

Juzo, silently, thanked whatever may be above for not sticking him with the rowdy teenagers who walked by. Kyosuke and Chisa were plenty of craziness, for him. And, _that_ group had more energy than he’d ever had in his whole life.

The teens were forgotten, however, as he and Chisa reached their destination.

Juzo lightly shook himself free of Chisa’s grip, cleared his throat, and opened the door, holding it for Chisa, who offered him a bright “thank you” as she walked in. Since nobody was behind him, he let it close without thinking twice, and followed Chisa up to the front desk.

“Hello! Welcome to Japan’s #1 animal shelter. Looking for a pet?” came the greeting of the receptionist.

Juzo thought it was a rather bold claim to say that it was the best, in _all_ of Japan, but it did provide him with the knowledge that the place was a quality establishment, so he decided that it did its job, as far as blanket statements go.

“Yeah. Trying to find a dog,” he replied, partially wishing that Chisa had stepped up to say something, instead.

The woman at the desk smiled at him, and said, in the standard I’m-paid-to-be-here way, “Okay, well just go to the right, and take the first door on your left. Hope you find a furry friend!”

He wondered, for a moment, if she said that to everyone, but Chisa was already pulling him, again. Juzo could’ve, easily, separated himself if it really bothered him, but he didn’t. A little embarrassment wouldn’t really hurt him, and Chisa wasn’t the kind of person you could say no to.

“Thank you!” she shouted, waving goodbye to the woman.

Chisa turned to look at him, and once they were out of earshot, Juzo whispered, leaning as if he were about to tell her a secret, “Jeez, that chick was peppy.”

At that, Chisa hit his arm. “Juzo! Don’t be rude!”

“Hey, I'm not one of your students. I don't need to be reprimanded,” Juzo said, his tone just slightly more confrontational than he had intended.

Chisa wagged a finger at him. “You do if you're being a jerk! I won't hesitate to put you on time out.”

Seeing her “strict” side kind of made him want to laugh, because she was just too cute, but she was also very capable of terrifying him, so he did his best not to let a chuckle slip out.

“Fine. Fine. I'll play nice,” Juzo said, with a smile, “Mostly ‘cause I don't think you're joking.”

Joyfully, and rather proudly, Chisa replied, “I'm not.”

Without further ado, Juzo and Chisa reached the promised land of fluffy animals, and found cages lining the walls on both sides, stretching down the long hallway of a room. Juzo sighed, knowing that this would probably take forever, but he was unwilling to give up and go home. So, he began to casually browse, allowing Chisa to do most of the work.

As expected, she piped up, periodically, pointing out a dog that would be _perfect_ for him, which seemed to be nearly every dog that Chisa really liked. How strange.

“How about this one?” she called out, “I think it’s a girl.”

Juzo glanced over, not really bothering to walk closer. “Eh, I'd kinda prefer a male dog, myself.”

Chisa, silently, went back to searching, before suggesting yet another doggy.

“Too fru-fru,” he said to this one.

And another.

“Too small. I’ll crush that thing.”

And… another?

“Chisa, that’s a cat.”

Eventually, she got the hint, and let him pick out his own dog, opting to just stare at some sleepy puppy, in the corner. Juzo, now burdened with the responsibility of choosing, wandered further down the row of cages. It was, surprisingly, hard to choose. Not just because he would take them all home if he could, but because no one dog was calling out to him.

Juzo briefly considered the fact that it’d be weird if a dog literally called out to him, before realizing that that was a really stupid thought.

A white dog that seemed to be a bit older than he was looking for stared at him, a black one began to scratch at the wire, and a spotted one let out a solitary bark when he approached it. But, he couldn’t really picture any of them being _his_ dog. He wanted a dog that liked to play, that could learn tricks, that could guard, that would take a nap if his owner didn’t feel like putting in the effort, or at the very least clicked with him.

After a while, Juzo found himself drawn to a medium-sized brown dog. He watched the pup, for a moment, and then crouched down next to it. It was feisty, and seemed relatively young, going back and forth between chasing its tail and barking at him. And, for reasons he couldn’t completely explain, Juzo had fallen in love with it.

“Hey, Chisa. Look at this one,” he said, not pulling his eyes away from the dog.

It took her only a second or two to walk over to him, and once she had, she let out a squee. “Ah, Juzo! I think he’s perfect for you!” she leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees, “He’s even a _Boxer_.”

Juzo frowned, and looked at Chisa. “You're ruining this dog, for me.”

In reply, Chisa frowned back, saying, “Hey, remember what I said about-”

“Yeah, yeah. You'll put me in timeout,” Juzo finished, giving a small smile.

Chisa poked him, and smiled back, looking at Juzo as if to say “this one?” He looked again at the dog, and then stood up, turning to her. “Yeah, this one. Dunno why. I just like him.”

“Perfect! I'll go tell the woman at the front!” Chisa shouted as she began to almost sprint back over to the front desk.

Crouching down again, Juzo looked at the dog. “Hey there big guy,” he nearly whispered, feeling like it was the right thing to say, “Thinkin’ I might take you home.”

In reply, the puppy cocked its head, and Juzo almost died at the level of adorableness. “Not sure what my boyfriend’d think, but, eh, maybe I shouldn't worry about it, right now,” he continued, “You might get me in trouble. But, you don't care, do you?”

The dog in question just barked at him, and sat down, staring with little brown eyes. “Yeah, that's what I thought.”

Then, Juzo heard the click of heels, and he realized that Chisa was back. He turned, and stood up, again, noting that Chisa had some kind of handler with her.

“Which one?” the woman asked, sweetly.

“Uh, the brown one,” he answered, before pointing to the cage, “This guy.”

“Oh, that’s Ripley. Of course, that’s just a placeholder,” she smiled, “He’s just under six months, so he’s still a puppy.”

Juzo nodded, happy that the dog he’d chosen was both a puppy, and a male. So far, it was fitting all his criteria. Temperament and the doing tricks stuff could be issues, later, but Juzo didn’t care very much.

“Ripley, huh? Whaddya call him that for?” he asked, deciding that was an appropriate thing to say.

The woman’s face lit up. “Because _believe it or not_ , Ripley saved a man who was having a heart attack.”

“Damn. That’s the second pun I've heard today,” Juzo smiled, “So, he’s a hero?”

“Yeah! When Ripley found the man, he ran over to get help, and he led a young woman right to him. A couple of people at the scene called the police, who in turn called us, and we picked him up,” she recounted, seeming genuinely in awe of the dog, before continuing, “Speaking of picking him up...”

She reached down to lift him up. The pup practically ran into her arms, and she scooped him up, without any fuss. Honestly, it shocked Juzo a little bit, because he was certain that the dog must’ve weighed at least forty pounds, and she’d picked him up like it was nothing. He was a bit impressed.

“He’s a regular superhero,” she looked at Juzo, “Anyway, do you wanna hold him?”

Juzo looked at Ripley, and remembered how long it had been since he’d held a dog, or a baby, or any living thing, for that matter. He wasn’t really sure he was ready, and he gulped, without even realizing.

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

The handler nodded. “He’s friendly, and he’s had all his shots, so there shouldn't be any problems.”

That wasn't what Juzo was worried about, but, not wanting to seem incompetent, he took the dog, all the same. Ripley was incredibly soft, and silky, with floppy little ears that bounced as Juzo breathed, and he had four little paws that were curled up against him. Sure, he was a little big since he was six months, but it was no big deal for Juzo.

And, holding him, Juzo decided that he was head over heels for this dog he’d only just met. Again, he realized that he was a total softie.

“So, do you wanna take him home?” she asked, after what could’ve been seconds, or minutes, or days.

Without further consideration, Juzo began to speak. “Yes, I do.”

He heard Chisa cheer, in the background, and he remembered that he needed to thank her for convincing him to get a dog. But, he’d do that, later.

“Okay, great! There’s some paperwork you need to fill out, and a fee, but other than that, you’re free to take him!” the woman beamed, leading him over to a set of chairs.

“Sit here, and we’ll get you everything you need,” she added, and then walked out of sight to go get the various papers and documents.

Juzo glanced around, for a moment, deciding what to do, but then Chisa came over, and snatched the dog before he was even aware of her presence.

“You sit, and do boring paperwork, and I’ll snuggle Ripley, okay? Fair?” Chisa phrased as a question, but meant it as a statement of fact.

“...Fine,” he sighed, before pouting, and taking a seat.

He wondered how much it would cost to buy a dog. The numbers didn’t really matter to him, since both his job and Kyosuke’s paid well, but he guessed that it was probably at least a few hundred dollars. Not to mention the cost of toys, and food, which he’d have to go out and get.

Then, Juzo got an idea. “Hey, Chisa! I wanna ask you something.”

She cocked her head, much like Ripley had, and set him down, careful to keep him from running away. “Yes?”

“Would you mind going out and getting toys, and food, and all that crap?” he asked, certain that Chisa wouldn’t decline, “I could do it, myself, but it’d take too long. And, I kinda need a leash, if they don’t have them, here.”

Chisa smiled, and gave Juzo a quick salute. “Ay ay, Captain!”

Within a moment, she was out the door, and Juzo hoped she knew what dogs needed. Hopefully, since she dealt with kids all the time, she’d have at least a mild grasp of the amount of stuff living things needed to be kept entertained, or kept alive. Both of those things were pretty important.

Soon enough, the woman came back, with a packet-worth of papers. “So, you need to fill this out, with all your contact information,” she gestured toward the first couple pages, “You need to fill this out with information about payment and insurance,” she gestured toward the next page or two, “And, this is the birth certificate. You’re allowed to change his name, if you want,” she smiled, “Ask if you have any questions.”

She handed him a pen, and walked away, leaving Juzo to go through it all. Slowly, he sifted through each page, keeping the dog in between his legs, and he was finished by the time Chisa returned, having decided to stick with the name Ripley.

“Shopping for dog toys may be my new favorite hobby! Expect lots of gifts for Ripley, on his birthday!” Chisa said, storming in with four giant plastic bags, “When _is_ his birthday?”

She pulled out a collar, put it over Ripley’s head, and made it tight enough that she could only fit a couple fingers into the space between the neck and collar, before grabbing a black leash out of a bag, and clicking it onto the new collar.

Then, she pulled out a small charm with the name Ripley engraved in it. “You’re not the most creative, so I guessed that you’d stick with his original name. Am I right?”

Juzo considered responding to the insult thrown in there, but held his tongue. “Yeah. I stuck with Ripley.”

“Great!” Chisa smiled wide, and added the little name tag to his collar, standing back to admire her work, “And, he looks adorable!”

Chisa set down her bags, and walked over to Juzo, kissing him on the forehead, and then doing the same to Ripley. “I kind of went a little hog-wild, and, well, I’m hoping he likes his bed,” she opened the bag, to reveal a plaid doggy bed, and then began rattling off various other items she’d picked up, “I got bones, and chew toys, and pull toys, and treats, and food–the puppy kind because I think he’s too young for the big-boy stuff–and doggy poo-poo bags!”

She met Juzo’s eyes, with her own starry-eyed eyes, caught up in the excitement of a new puppy, even if it wasn’t her own. And, Juzo remembered that he had to thank her.

“Thanks for everything, Chisa. Not just for all the stuff, but also for, you know, pestering me about getting a dog,” he smiled, “Thanks.”

Chisa’s eyes began to tear up, and she wiped them, before smiling back. “It’s no big deal, Juzo. I’m always happy to help.”

Juzo prepared to reply, but then the woman came back over, and he handed over the papers. She nodded, said something about checking everything, and slunk back into the other room.

“Hey, Chisa, how much did all that stuff cost? I’m gonna pay you back, whatever it was,” Juzo looked at her, smiling, again.

“Don’t worry about it, Juzo,” she giggled, “I already bought everything using your credit card.”

For a second, Juzo stiffened, but then he laughed, as well. “I should’ve expected that, honestly.”

Chisa reached down to pet Ripley, and his tail began to wag. And, Juzo decided to join in, softly scratching behind his ears. It seemed to make Ripley happy, which made Juzo happy.

“Okay, so everything checks out. You can take Ripley home, now,” the handler called out, providing him with a copy of the birth certificate, and a small wave goodbye.

“Thank you, miss!” Chisa hollered, and hungrily grabbed the birth certificate, dying to know Ripley’s birthday.

Her mouth opened, and she squeed, stomping her feet in joy. “Juzo, his birthday is your birthday! Double-birthdays!”

Juzo pat Ripley’s head, wishing him a late happy birthday, and grabbed the leash. “So, you gonna walk me back to my place? Or, are you just gonna head home?”

“While I’d love to say hi to Kyosuke, I really need to get home. Gotta get up early, for school, you know?” she said, shrugging, “So, say hi to him, for me, okay?”

Juzo nodded, and wrapped her in a quick hug. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Chisa echoed.

She gave Ripley a quick pet, and then walked out of the animal shelter, heading home. Juzo took a breath, happy that his little excursion was done with, and picked up the bags of doggy items, with his free hand. “C’mon, Ripley. Do you like walks?”

The words didn’t seem to register with him, but when Juzo began to walk, the dog followed, and he figured that that was good enough.

With Ripley by his side, and the day quickly winding by, Juzo decided that it had been a good day. And, based on the sky, he figured that Kyosuke would be home, by this point.

Of course, he meant that Kyosuke was at _his_ home, _Juzo’s_ home. It was a Sunday, and Kyosuke always spent weekends, with him. Well, and whenever else he decided to come over. Most of the time he didn’t even tell Juzo he was coming. He would just show up, talk about how busy it was at work, and start making out with him. It was pretty great, actually.

Juzo really loved his boyfriend.

But, he’d known that all along, so it wasn’t much of a shocker. God, how long had he been in love with him before he’d worked up the guts to ask him out? Something like five years? However long it was, it freaking sucked. Worse even, way back when, Chisa had had something of a crush on Kyosuke. Now, _that_ had been an incredibly awkward period.

It all worked out, in the end, however. Chisa was more than supportive, and his relationship was going pretty well. Since they already knew each other so well, there were no communication issues, and it’d been smooth sailing. Maybe it’d get harder, farther down the road, but Juzo was completely certain that whatever happened, he would stay by Kyosuke’s side. After all, there was little more important to both of them than loyalty.

So, yeah, Juzo was pretty happy with everything in his life. And, he had a dog, now, which he hadn’t thought he needed just that morning. But, here he was, walking his new dog down the sidewalk, to greet his boyfriend.

He could hardly imagine a life where he wasn’t this happy. Anything _could’ve_ happened. The whole world could’ve fallen apart, or he might’ve never gotten the chance to tell Kyosuke how he felt. That wasn’t what had happened, though, and he was forever grateful that he was alive, that he had his friends and his world, and everything he’d wanted so desperately since high school. His dreams were never as big as Kyosuke’s, but he’d still had hopes. And, no longer did he just have to hope.

Juzo smiled, and realized, both nervously and excitedly, that he could see his house. It would be only minutes before he’d walk through the door and hear whatever it was Kyosuke would have to say about their new roommate.

He looked down at Ripley, and wondered how to get him to go the bathroom. He’d been too young to walk his dog, as a kid, and whenever his parents would take him out with the dog, he never had to handle any of the dirty work. Well, he’d probably go to the bathroom if he really had to. And, hopefully, the dog wouldn’t feel the urge once they got inside.

Quickly closing in on the house, Juzo took a few calming breaths, closing his eyes to get into the right mindset, and then put on his poker face. Or, well, he hoped it was a poker face.

Too soon, they reached the familiar walkway, and Juzo walked up the steps. However, Ripley didn’t find this to be nearly as easy as he did, and Juzo ended up having to hold Ripley in one arm, and all the bags with his other arm. That, of course, made opening the door a hassle, but he was a boxer, so his strength and endurance were better than most people’s, and he was able to fish his keys out of his pocket _and_ open the door.

He was actually pretty proud of himself.

Juzo walked in, and found Kyosuke sitting on the couch, calmly reading the newspaper. He never had time to read it, in the morning, so he always settled for reading it, _after_ work. Kyosuke was probably the only person he knew who still read the newspaper, which was exactly why Juzo always had it delivered to his house. Kyosuke _liked_ it, and that was enough reason to get it every morning, even if Kyosuke only read it on weekends.

Juzo put the dog down, and prepared to say some kind of witty phrase, or greeting, or something. But, he was struggling to find the words. And, before he could, Ripley barked, testing the waters of the new space.

At that, Kyosuke’s head snapped up.

“Surprise?” Juzo tried, weakly, suddenly wishing that he was anywhere else.

“You bought a dog,” Kyosuke said, stating the obvious.

“Yeah, I did,” Juzo confirmed, certain that he was starting to blush purely out of his own nervousness, “Chisa saw a poster for dogs, and thought I should get one. So, I… did.”

“Chisa did?” he asked, staring not at the dog, but right at Juzo.

“Yup,” he answered, feeling more and more anxious by the second.

Kyosuke continued to stare, for a moment, and then got up, silently, walking closer and closer until he was right in front of him, until Juzo could _almost_ kiss him, and then squat down so he was eye-level with the dog.

“What’s their name?” he asked, tone still devoid of any emotion that Juzo could cling to, for answers.

“Ripley,” Juzo replied, quietly, “He’s a boy. Almost 6 months old.

Kyosuke glanced up at him. “He’s cute.”

“Oh thank god,” Juzo said, aloud, unlike what he’d intended.

Then, Kyosuke stood straight, again, still close enough that all Juzo would have to do is lean forward and he could kiss away all the awkwardness he was feeling.

“You,” Kyosuke began, “...are also very cute.”

And, Juzo began to blush. Well, blush harder.

“So, I have no qualms with Ripley,” he continued, “I approve.”

“That’s good because I’d feel like a jerk for returning a whole dog,” Juzo joked, finally smiling.

“As opposed to half of one?” Kyosuke joked back, leaning just _slightly_ closer, “Juzo, put down the bags. I’m sure they’re filled with supplies, so just stick them in the kitchen, for now. We can figure out what to do with them, later.”

Juzo went over to put the bags down (which by this point were really starting to kill his arms), and dropped Ripley’s leash, as Kyosuke closed the door Juzo had accidentally left open. He put the bags, in the corner, and then took off the leash, leaving just the collar, before walking back over to Kyosuke.

“So, I put the-” Juzo began, but was quickly cut off by Kyosuke’s lips meeting his own.

And, his doubts didn’t matter anymore.

“I missed you,” Kyosuke breathed, staring at Juzo in way that made him melt.

“I-I missed you, too,” Juzo replied, heart beating out of his chest, even if it was the thousandth time he’d kissed him.

Then, Kyosuke smiled, something he rarely did for anyone other than Juzo, and if he hadn’t melted before, he surely had, by now. Luckily, it wasn’t long before Kyosuke kissed him, again, and Juzo thought, for the second time that day, that he _really_ loved his boyfriend.

Soon, however, Ripley walked up to them, letting out a small whine of confusion. And, surprisingly, Kyosuke bent down to pet him.

“I’m Kyosuke,” he said, softly, to the young dog, “And, this is my boyfriend Juzo.”

In response, Ripley sniffed him, and Juzo could only stare at the adorable scene unfolding before him.

“Hi,” Juzo added, “We spoke earlier.”

The dog walked over and sniffed him, too, before wagging his tail and sitting down to look at them both.

“You picked a good dog, Juzo,” Kyosuke said, as close to warmly as he could get.

And, Juzo smiled, again. “Thanks,” he started, before biting the inside of his lip, “Can I kiss you again, though?”

Kyosuke let out a short laugh, and began to walk upstairs, gesturing for Juzo to follow. “Are you coming?” he called out, midway, and Juzo felt so light he feared he might pass out.

Juzo gave Ripley a quick head scratch, saying quickly, “Thanks, buddy.”

Then, Juzo walked upstairs, feeling so incredibly ecstatic that the man he loved was waiting for him that he couldn’t help but smile.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote Munasaka fluff because that's what this world deserves. Also, I think this is one of the first Munasaka fics that is set in an au without despair. Cool. And, sorry again for the probably highly inaccurate characterization and everything else. I just needed to get this out of my head.


End file.
